Technical Project Officer - Space planning

Your Team

The Directorate of General Services (DGS) ensures the operational continuity of the Organisation's activities  and develops strategies for safety and security, buildings and installations, translation, and document production and distribution. 

Within the DGS, the Buildings and Installations Division (DBI) handles the upkeep, maintenance, renovation and transformation of the buildings, premises and technical installations of the Organisation; it manages the outsourcing contracts for those tasks, contributes to safeguarding against accidental risks and provides logistical support for the external offices; it is responsible for drawing up and regularly updating the Capital Master Plan and the works programme; it ensures that the value of the real estate portfolio is maintained and manages all types of spaces, including the car parks.

Your Role

As a Technical Project Officer - Space planning, you will:

• design and optimise layout plans for offices and common areas based on functional and organisational needs;
• collaborate with various internal units within the General Services Department and external partners to ensure the creation of ergonomic, attractive, sustainable, and safe work environments;
• prepare sketches, plans, and 2D/3D renderings for approval and implementation in accordance with assigned objectives (cost, quality, and deadlines); design and draft the technical documentation required for the work (project specifications, terms of reference, and requests for proposals);
• coordinate fit-out work in collaboration with external contractors;
• plan and supervise the execution of the work while minimizing the impact on operations (work in occupied spaces); where necessary, organise the temporary relocation of people and activities;
• ensure compliance with safety and accessibility standards, as well as the performance and compliance of the spaces;
• participate in the development and management of workplace transformation projects, as well as the associated data and tools;
• ensure overall consistency with the guidelines of the Capital Master Plan, the “New Ways of Working” initiative, and the culture of continuous improvement.

Requirements to apply

You must have:

• a higher education degree or qualification in construction techniques (e.g., architecture, civil engineering and construction, or equivalent);
• at least 3 years of relevant professional experience in the field of workspace management;
• very good knowledge of one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French) and a good knowledge of the other.

You must also:

• be a citizen of one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• be under the age of 65 years.

Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our competency framework.

Key competencies

• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Results orientation
• Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
• Interpersonal - Communication

• Professional and technical expertise:
  • proven professional expertise in managing projects, works, outsourced services and contracts;
  • good skills in the use of relevant software in computer-aided design and drafting (CAD/CADD), software such as Revit, AutoCAD or equivalent.

Desirable competencies

• Interpersonal - Negotiating
• Interpersonal - Resilience

• Professional and technical expertise:
  • professional experience in managing change in workspaces and ways of working;
  •  professional experience in an international or multicultural context;
  • specific knowledge of French ERP regulations governing buildings accessible to the public.

What we offer

This job vacancy is for an international external recruitment. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance, etc.) on the webpage What we offer. 

Applications and selection procedure

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page Our recruitment process. This recruitment is carried out in accordance with Article 490 of the Council of Europe Staff Rules. The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 (CET/CEST). When applying, make sure your motivation shows how your competencies make your profile the best for the role.

Important information

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at [email protected], we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will be updated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at [email protected].